Another Past Post: 06/18/10 First Dual Cross Country

Weather still bad here in Richmond. And I still need to schedule checkride prep time with my CFI. Hope to knock it all out in April. Meanwhile, another significant aviation event in my life. First dual cross country:

With the help of my Purple Board friends (my "imaginary friends"), I planned my first dual cross country from KFCI to KCHO which I flew Friday 06/18/10.

First, the times did not work out at all. According to the POH climb chart, it would take me 14 minutes to reach my first check point. I was there in about 5 and already at cruising altitude.

The other checkpoint worked out better, but we never got to the last one because it was taking so long. It is actually about a 20 to 30 minute flight, but with the course I had chosen, it was more like 50 minutes--about as long as driving there!!!

Skyvector Sectional--waypoints

Just past my second checkpoint, approach asked if we needed vectors to CHO. My CFI laughed and answered, "No, my pilot is just showing me the scenic route along the river".

He then had me turn direct to CHO. Uneventful landing there--just before we got there, a Lear was on approach at 3,000--approach had us descend to 4,000 and follow the Lear (Lifeguard XXX--do they fly organs or patients around?).

Well, I saw him at our 3:00 first before my instructor (who blamed it on my young eyes). He comes rocketing past from our right rear to left front on a much wider turn to final. We are then cleared to descend pilot's discretion and handed off to tower. Coming in, there is a mountain ridge you have to clear before the airport. It felt odd to descend with rising terrain, but we were pretty far above the surface--even crossing the crest.

 
So we saw the Lear turn final, were cleared to land number 2 behind the Lear. I hadn't even turned base as he was crossing the numbers. Then base to a long final. The runway was huge compared to KFCI. Wider and longer. I landed, taxied back, then departed for KFCI. We flew back direct and it took very little time at all.

So my headings didn't work out. My times were off. I saw my checkpoints (except that last one), but my route may not have been the most direct. My CFI said to have checkpoints every two "thumbs", which I pretty much did (I spotted the quarries along our route, towns I knew, bridges, and other things). He said I did a good job and he could tell I had planned it out well. He said headings are hard to get right, and you have to adjust in the air. We will probably do the route again, and I will plan it more direct next time.